At the invitation of CPAFFC,Russian Relax Performing Arts group visited Beijing and Tianjin from July 24th to August 1st. During the visit, The group performed in the 3-rd China-Russia Youth Friendship Evening and the 2015 Tianjin International Children’s Cultural & Art Festival. Russian Relax Performing Arts group is organized by more than 200 young artists. Their performance has won many awards in international competitions.  

CPAFFC delegation led by Vice President Xie Yuan visited Greece from July 27th to 30th. During the visit, Vice President Xie met with Mr.Petros Tatoulis, Governor of Peloponnese Region, Ms. Katerina Thanopoulou, Vice Governor of Attica Region and Mr. Dimitrios Kafantatis, Vice President of Hellenic Mayors’ Association and Mayor of Pylos.   Left: Mr. Xu Hong, Vice President of CHAECD Middle:Mr.Petros Tatoulis, Governor of Peloponnese Region  Right:Mr. Xie Yuan, Vice President of CPAFFC  Governor Tatoulis visited Beijing, Shanghai, Yiwu and Jiaxing this June at the invitation of CPAFFC. After one month CPAFFC paid this visit back. Vice President Xie and Governor Tatoulis exchanged views in conducting mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and cultural exchanges between the local governments of China and Greece. Governor Tatoulis introduced that with its location in Mediterranean region, Greece was famous for its olive oil and other healthy food. Greece held a leading position in the world in terms of food safety and would like to conduct practical cooperation with China. After the meeting, on behalf of CPAFFC, Vice President Xie signed an MOU with Peloponnese regional government and Chinese-Hellenic Association for Economic and Cultural Development (CHAECD). According to the MOU,CPAFFC and Peloponnese region will co-host a food safety seminar as well as several cultural exchange activities next year.   Vice President Xie Yuan meeting with Mr.Petros Tatoulis, Governor of Peloponnese Region Ms. Katerina Thanopoulou, Vice Governor of Attica Region briefed Vice President Xie about the progress Attica region has made in pension and handicapped assistance. Xie said that CPAFFC would like to collaborate with Attica region in these fields, while recommend Chinese provinces which have made sound progress in relative fields to establish sister-region relationship with Attica region, so as to exchange experiences and seek for common development.   Vice President Xie Yuan meeting with Mr. Dimitrios Kafantatis, Vice President of Hellenic Mayors’ Association and Mayor of Pylos Mr. Dimitrios Kafantatis, Vice President of Hellenic Mayors’ Association and Mayor of Pylos expressed his gratitude to the delegation for coming at such a difficult time of Greece, which indicated the friendship between Greece and China. Kafantatis wished that links would be established between Hellenic Mayors’ Association and CPAFFC through this meeting, in order to promote the exchanges and cooperation between local governments of the two countries in the future. Vice President Xie expressed his wishes to the recovery of Hellenic economy, and confirmed to recommend Chinese cities to establish sister-city relationship with Pylos. Xie also invited Hellenic Mayors’ Association to present at the China International Friendship Cities Conference which was going to be held next November in Shandong Province in China. Greece is located in the south of Balkan Peninsula with coasts on three sides. It is the birthplace of western civilization. Greece used to play as an active role on the Old Silk Road. Today, as the cultural intersection of Europe and Asia, Greece has become the meeting point of the New Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Premier Li Keqiang signed trade and investment agreements with Greece in June 2014 during his visit to Greece, with the total volume of 4.6 billion US dollars. China and Greece as two ancient countries with splendid culture, will establish new ties through “One Belt One Road” . The visit of CPAFFC is in line with “One Belt One Road” Strategy, with the aim of promoting the practical cooperation and common development in economy, trade and culture between local governments of China and Greece.

At the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited Beijing and Shanghai from July 26 to 30. The delegation met with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, Minister Luo Shugang of Ministry of Culture, Vice President Song Jingwu of CPAFFC and leaders of Petro-China, Sinopec and CNOOC. First Minister Sturgeon delivered a speech on “Female Competitiveness and Gender Equality” at CPAFFC. First Minister Sturgeon brought 23 Scottish companies to China who signed over 10 cooperation agreements with their Chinese partners in Beijing. Shanghai and Jiaxing, covering various fields such as digital technique, low-carbon economy, medical care and public health. In respect of people-to-people exchange, the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Scottish Government on the Promotion of Cultural Collaboration and Exchange and Memorandum of Understanding for the Development of Cultural Cooperation Between China International Culture Association and the Edinburgh International Festival have been renewed . A number of Chinese and Scottish universities have signed MOUs respectively.  Scotland local government has been working closely with CPAFFC. Former First Minister Salmond had visited China four times at CPAFFC’s  invitation. This is the first visit to China since  Sturgeon assumed office. The visit has further promoted the exchange and cooperation in economy and trade, culture and education between China and Scotland.

  Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi met with visiting First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday.   Yang spoke highly of the development of China-Britain relations and the importance assigned by the Scottish government to relations with China. He said China is ready to make joint efforts with the Scottish government to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in areas including economy, education and culture. Sturgeon echoed Yang,N saying Scotland is willing to continue to improve bilateral cooperation in all areas. Sturgeon was invited by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

“Midsummer Concert for China and Japan Friendship”, jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC), China-Japan Friendship Association(CJFA), KAWAI Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co.,Ltd. (KAWAI), was held in CPAFFC on the evening of 28th, July. More than 170 representatives including Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of the CPAFFC, Mme. Wang Xiuyun, Director-General of the Department of Japanese Affairs of the CPAFFC, Mr. Kawai, General Manager of KAWAI, Mr. ITO KOICHI, Chief-Minister of the Embassy of Japan in China, Mr. TAKASHIMA RYUSUKE, Minister of the Economic Department of the Embassy of Japan in China, and other representatives from National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), Ministry of  Commerce, China Musical Instrument Association, Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing, the Japanese organizations and enterprises in China, and staff of the CPAFFC, attended the concert. In his speech, vice president Song  Jingwu said that CPAFFC and KAWAI had held the events such as New Year Concert of China and Japan Friendship, Commemoration Concert for Establishment of China and Japan Friendship Exchange Foundation, series of lectures of musical salon in China and Japan in succession, since KAWAI Foundation for Musical Education and China-Japan Friendly Exchange was established in August last year. The two countries expressed their wishes of friendship for generations in the form of music. He said that listening to the piano music at night as if listening to a beautiful music which made the ears cleared suddenly and hoped that guests could forget the hot and tired when listening to the beautiful piano music and could acquire new inspiration and enthusiasm for making a remarkable achievement in the new period for China and Japan friendship Mr. Kawai expressed that KAWAI had been always engaged in the cause of musical education and development of China-Japan friendship. He hoped that KAWAI Foundation for Musical Education and China-Japan Friendly Exchange would play an effective role in future to make contribution to promoting the culture exchange and the development of the relationship between the two countries. During the concert, the famous Japanese young pianists, Numasawa Yoshito and Nogami Mariko, performed several classic pieces of Chopin and Liszt respectively. The two Chinese teenage piano amateurs, Wang Quanlin and Tao Ziye, also performed piano music of high difficulty level. The audience from China and Japan together enjoyed a romantic, warm and friendly midsummer evening in the beautiful melody.  

On the afternoon of July 27th 2015, Mr. Arken Imirbaki, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and President of China- Arab Friendship Association (CAFA) met with the delegation of the UAE Youth Ambassadors organized by Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi. President Arken Imirbaki introduced to the delegation about the CAFA and people-to-people exchanges carried out between CAFA and the UAE. He said that the visit of Youth Ambassadors delegation showed again the importance attached by His Highness Crown Prince to China-UAE relations and youth exchanges between the two countries which we highly appreciate. Youth is not only the future of the country, but the successor of China-UAE friendship relations. President Imirbaki hoped that the youth delegation through this visit could enhance the understanding of China and make more friends with Chinese young people so as to make contribution for the China-UAE friendship. CAFA will work closely with the UAE side to develop friendship cooperation of youth, cultural and academic exchanges between China and the UAE. The UAE side appreciated the contributions made by Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the CAFA in promoting the people-to-people friendship cooperation between China and Arab Countries including the UAE. The UAE side is also willing to further strengthen the relations of friendship cooperation with China in various fields.

On July 27th, Vice President Song Jingwu attended the reception held by the Scottish Office of the British Embassy in China welcoming Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland. Vice President Song Jingwu had a cordial talk with Sturgeon and expressed willingness to further strengthen cooperation with the Scottish government. Sturgeon said she hopes to enhance exchanges between China and Scotland and promote cooperation in various fields.

On July 27th，Mr Song Jingwu, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Ms Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, and the British Ambassador to China, Ms Barbara Woodward at the CPAFFC. Vice President Song Jingwu extended warm welcome to Sturgeon and her delegation on behalf of President Li Xiaolin, and briefed her on the activities carried out by the CPAFFC including friendly exchanges with foreign countries, local government cooperation, public diplomacy and charity. He pointed out that the CPAFFC and the Scottish government have kept in close contact and good collaboration, and hoped to continue to build and strengthen the cooperation mechanisms with the British local governments in the future.   Sturgeon thanked the CPAFFC for helping arrange her visit in China, and expressed her appreciation to the CPAFFC in promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges and local government cooperation between China and Scotland. Sturgeon said the two sides share many areas of common interest, and hoped to deepen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, business and trade, innovation, and education through this visit.

On July 27th, Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland made a speech on “Female Competitiveness and Gender Equality” at the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).   CPAFFC Vice President Song Jingwu hosted the event which was attended by Ms Barbara Woodward, the British Ambassador to China, and over 100 representatives from the Chinese National People’s Congress, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Public Security, the Beijing Municipal Government and Beijing Women’s Federation.   Sturgeon reviewed the progress made on women’s rights worldwide and China’s own achievements since the Fourth World Conference on Women hosted by China 20 years ago. She shared some steps taken by Scotland to promote gender equality, and hoped that China can show leadership in this field. She answered questions from the audience after the speech.   Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister in Scotland who had won the Scottish Politician of the Year for many times. She was named as one of “the most influential women” by the BBC. At the invitation of the CPAFFC, she paid a visit to China from July 26th to 30th.

  The opening ceremony of 2015 Tianjin International Children's Culture & Art Festival, jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), China International Culture Association (CICA), China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) and the Tianjin Municipal People's Government, was held in Tianjin on July 26th.Mayor of Tianjin Mr. Huang Xingguo, the CPAFFC Vice President Mme. Lin Yi and the CSCLF Vice Chairman Mme. Tang Wensheng launched the festival. Mr. Xiao Huaiyuan, Chairman of the Standing Committee of Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress, Mr. Zang Xianfu, Chairman of the Tianjin People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the diplomats from the Embassies of Czech, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia in China were also present at the ceremony.   In her speech at the welcome meeting for the diplomats and troupe representatives, Mme. Lin said that the festival provided an opportunity for the children worldwide to communicate, showcased the vigor and vitality of the new generation, and contributed to the common development of diverse cultures. She hoped that every one would join hands to work for deeper friendship among the young people and the progress of human civilization.   With the theme of “Peace, Friendship and Future”, the festival has entered its eighth session since 1998, and will be on from July 26h to 30th. It is joined by more than 2000 teenagers and kids from over 60 countries abroad and over 20 provinces of China. During the festival, there will be a series of activities including 5-day performances, painting competition and exhibition on “the Belt and Road”,etc.